Construction of fire-proof buildings



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

EpV., JOHNSON. CONSTRUCTION OP FINI: PROOF BUILDINGS.

Patented Mar. 10, v1891.-

(No Model.) 2 sheets-she@ 2.

E. V. JOHNSON. CONSTRUCTION OI PINE PROOF BUILDINGS.

No. 448,048. 'Patented Mar. 10, 1891.'A

lllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.A v

ERNEST V. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-PROOF BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,048, dated March 10, 1891.

Application lriled November 3, 1890. Serial No. 370,150. (No model.)

To ttl-Z wwm, it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST V. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and-useful Improvement in the Art of Constructing Fire- 'Proof Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to the construction of fire-proof buildings, and more particularly to the construction and means of supporting the'tle structure composing the ceiling and floors of the separate rooms or compartments.

Heretofore the ceiling and floor tile structure has been supported upon a series of parallel metallic I-beams, placed usually at a distance of from ve to seven feet apart, (more or less,) which'I-beams rest upon supportinggirders extending between the posts or structural columns of the building. As all the beams supporting the tile rest upon the girders, the total weight is of course transferred to the girders, thus rendering it necessary to make the girders very strong and heavy. Heretofore, also, the space above the tile to the level 4of the upper edge of the beams is usually iilled in solid with concrete or other equivalent material, upon which the flooring, whether of wood boards or iiooring-tile, is laid. The whole floor area between the columns thus has a concrete filling above.the tile of about equal depth or thickness throughout. A serious objection has been experienced in the practical use of this old construction of tile floor and ceiling, owing to the great weight of the thick solid concrete filling on top of the tile and yto the numerous parallel steel beams which were necessarily employed to support the tile and transfer the weight of the same to the girders. This eX- cess in weight of ioor construction is a matter of great moment in the practical construction of high {ire-proof buildings now being commonly erected in most large cities.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, strong, durable, and comparatively cheap ceiling and floor tile struct-ure which shall be very much lighter in weight than the construction heretofore generally in use, and by means of which, also, both the objectionablerweight and the cost of the parallel beams, which have heretofore been used to support the tile and transfer the weight of the same to the girders, may be entirely dispensed with.

My invention consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a plan view of a device embodying my invent-ion, the Same. showing a portion or compartment of a building between a single set of four columns. partly in horizontal section and shows in part different layers or strata of the floor and ceiling structure. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken online 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view oflthe con-v crete arch supporting or forming device, the same being a section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7 '7 of Fig. l. Fig. S is a perspective view of a clamp device which may be used to hold the concrete arch forming'or supporting device in place while the concrete or cement is becoming set.

In the drawings, A A represent four columns of abuilding, the same being usually iron or steel columns. Y

B B are four girders or beams extending between and supported by the four columns.

These girders or beams are or should be made of steel and of an I-form. Tie-rods C C, extending between the opposite beams B B near themiddlethereof and secured thereto by bails or clips C C', may-benernployed to stiften the girders, if necessary or desied. I also provide or may provide brace tie-rods C2 C2, extending diagonally across the corners, the same being attached to the adjacent girders B B by bails or clips C3 C3. TheA tie-rods C C2 may or may not be used. They ,are chiefly useful in connection with the outside girders of the building, as the interior girders' will receive a bracing-support from the adjacent sections of the building. l

D is a self-supporting cloister-arch hollow- This view is Y IOC tile structure extending between and carried j by the four girders or beams B. This cloister hollow-tile arch D isfurnished with or composed in part of four diagonal ribs d, extending from the center or keystone E to the four corners of the structure. TheV hollow rib-tiles d have shoulders d to receive and support the adjacent intermediate hollow tiles d2. The tiles d2, which rest upon the ledge or shoulder d in the rib-tile d, have anglefaces d3 corresponding to the angle of the ribs d. The marginal tiles d4, which tit upon the webs b of the beams B, have shoulders or recesses d5 to itV the webs. tiles d4 are also furnished with projectinginelined faces d6, to receive and support the intermediate beam tile F, which covers and protects the lower flange of the beams or girders B. The keyE is preferably-made'of tile;

but it maybe made solid instead of hollow. The tile in the line of the tie-rod Cy may be grooved,-notched, or perforated to give room for the rod.

H represents the concrete, cement, or other equivalent filling above the tile cloister arch D. This filling H is made in the form of a `series of hollow ribs orarches for the purpose-of rdiminishing its weight, and at the Same time bringing the level of the floor up to the desired height. The series of arches or hollow ribsy h of this concrete filling: H extend or should 'extend atV right angles to or -across the curvature of the four triangular sections ofthe cloister-arch D, as is clearly indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, so that the con crete-fillin g structure may be strongest i-n the direction that each section of the clois- 'ter tile arch D is' weakest, the strength of the Vone re-enforcing the strength of the other,

thus adding to the combinedstrength of the two in the structure as a whole. Owing to thecurvature of they cloister tile arch D, it will be observed that the concrete-filling His much thinner :near the keystone or center of the structure than near the corners or margin of the same, and that the hollow channels or arches h in the concrete Iilling H are correspondingly iiattened towardthe center. This is clearly indicated in the drawings in Fig.i2, and also by a comparison of the seciron or stiii' straw-board. If these arch-forming devices are made of straw-board or such material, they may be preferablyA saturated or coated withpitch or tar or like material. Thelower limbs of the adjacent arch-forming devicesK may be held in place'by clips le., placed at intervals.

ThepurposeofthedeviceKissimplytoshape and support the concrete or cement filling H These marginal Y while it is being tamped in place and until the cement becomes set. T-he devices K are simply to shape the arches or channels h and not to give any permanent strength or support to the structure asa whole. rlhese devices K may therefore be formed of any substance desired, and it is immaterialwhether it be of a durable nature ornot.

M represents the flooring, and'm the strips laid in the concrete filling, and to'which the flooring-boards may be nailed in cases where the surface-iioor is of wood.

The rib-tiles dprojecting below the sofiit of the arch D make an ornamental finish to the cloister-arch, and the ceiling-plastering lnay be done directly upon the surface of the tile, or the same may be otherwise decorated.

If it is desired to have a lat ceiling, it may be suspended from the archD inv the :usual manner.

I claim- 1. In a building, the combination, with four supporting posts or columns,'of girders or beams extending between said posts, a cloister hollow'- tile arch f ceiling and vfloor structure extending betweenv and supported bysaid girders or beams, said girders or beams being secured together at the corners, so that each parallel pairV thereof serves to bind or tie the other parallel pair together, whereby they serve atthe same time to support the weight of the arch and to resist 'itslateral Athrust in all directions, substantially as specilied.

2. In a building, the i combination, `with Vfour supporting posts orcolumns, of girders or beams extending between saidA posts, a cloister hollow-tile arch 'ceiling and floor structure extending between and supported by said girders orf beams, and a concrete filling above said cloister tilevarch, said girders or beams being-secured together-at the corners, so that each parallel pair thereof vserves to bind or tie the other parallel pair together, whereby they serve at the same time to-support the weight of the arch andto resist -i-ts lateral thrust in all directions, substantially as speciied. Y

3. In a building, the combination, with four supporting posts or columns, of girders or beams extending between said posts, a cloister tile arch ceilingand ioorstructure extendingbetweeu andsupported by saidgirders or beams, and a concrete lling above-said cloister tile arch, said'concrete filling having a series of hollow channels or arches,rsaid girders or beams beingv secured togetherfat the corners, so that each parallel pair thereof serves to bind or tie the -other parallel pair together, -whereby they serve at the same time to support the-weight of theearch and to resist its lateral thrust in all directi0ns,sub stantial ly as specified.

4. In a building, the combination, with four supporting posts or columns, of girders Vor beams extending between'said 4posts,-a

cloister hollow-tile arch ceiling and 'floor IIO structure extending between and supported by said girders or beams, and a concrete filling above said cloister tile arch, said concrete filling having a series of hollow channels or arches extending in the direction of the curvature of each triangular section of said cloister tile arch, substantially as specified.

5. rlhe combination, with the four beams or girders B, of the cloister hollow-tile arch D, having four diagonal ribs d, composed of tile furnished with shoulders or ledges CZ to engage the adjacent tile, substantially as specitied.

6. The combination, with the four beams or girders B, of the cloister hollow-tile arch D, having four diagonal ribs CZ, composed of tile furnished with shoulders or ledges d to engage the adjacent tile, the marginal tile d", having shoulders or recesses d5 -to fit the webs of said girders or beams B, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the four beams or girders B, of the cloister hollow-tile arch D, having four diagonal ribs d, composed of tile furnished with shoulders or ledges d to engage the adjacent tile, the marginal tile d4, having shoulders or recesses d5 to'tit the Webs of said girders or beams B, and the intermediate tile cl2, fitting on said ledges d and having inclined faces d3, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with four supporting girders or beams B, of a cloister hollow-tile archD, having marginal tile d4, furnished with inclined ledges d6, and a beam covering and protecting tile F, supported by said inclined ledges d6, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with four girders or beams B, of a cloister tile arch supported thereby, and a tie-rod C, extending between opposite beams B B, substantially as specified.

l0. The combination, with four girders or beams B, of a cloister hollow-tile arch supported thereby, and a tie-rod C, extending between opposite beams B B and bails or clips C', substantially as specified.

11. The combination of four girders or beams B with a cloister hollow-tile arch supported thereby and corner tie-rods C2, substantially as specied.

l2. The combination of four girders or 5o beams B with a hollow-tile arch ioor and ceiling structure, and a concrete filling above the same furnished with or made in the form of a series of hollow channels or arches, said girders or beams being secured together at the corners, so that each parallel pair thereof serves to bind or tie the other parallel pair together, whereby they serve at the same time to support the weight of the arch and to resist the lateral thrust in all directions, substantially as specified.

13. The combination, with a tile arch door Vand ceiling structure, of a concrete filling above the same furnished with or made in the* form of a series of hollow channels or arches 6 5 and arch-forming devices K, substantially as specified.

14. The combination, with a tile arch Hoor and ceiling structure, of a concrete lling above the same furnished with or made in the form of a series of hollow channels or arches, and arch-forming devices K and clamps or clips k, substantially as specified.

l5. The combination, with four supporting beams or girders, of a cloister hollow-tile arch supported thereby, and a concrete tilling having a series of hollowl channels or arches eX- tending from each side toward the center and tapering or diminishing from their outer toward theirinner ends, substantially as speci- 8o fied.

ERNEST V. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADcocK, EMMA HACK. 

